Hearing

Personal Social and Emotional

Play a small group turn taking game inside or outside, saying to the children: “I hear with my little ear…” Name a sound you can hear. Encourage the children to say what they can hear.

Communication and Language

Introduce walkie-talkies to the setting or some simple string talking cups. What can children hear if they listen carefully? Can they answer a simple question or continue a conversation?

Physical Development

Play musical bumps and statues, encourage the children to listen for when the music stops to do the actions.

Literacy

Two groups of children take turns to sing different songs/rhymes, encouraging the other group to listen to them singing, loud, quiet, whisper, or humming the tune. Ask the group that are listening which they liked the best, such as loud, whisper etc…

Mathematics

With their eyes closed, tune children into hearing sounds as objects drop and fall into a metal tin. Encourage children to count how many items they hear falling into the tin. Check and repeat together, counting small numbers of objects in a sequence.

Understanding of the World

Go on nature walks. What can the children hear, e.g. birds, aeroplanes, cars? Where is the sound coming from? Now cover up one ear. Can you hear the sound now? Where is it coming from?

Expressive Art and Design

Provide a range of media and materials for the children to make their own musical instruments, for example make a shaker. Explore musical instruments, can the children play them loud and quiet.

Focused Vocabulary

Act, Ear, Sound, Hear, Singing, Echo, Listen.